The team led by the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, is in Chad from April 29 to May 6 to investigate the political and security situation.The future of Chad is of great interest to the African Union Commission ten days after the death of its president Idriss Déby Itno on the warfront.

It has sent to N’Djamena five members of its Peace and Security Council who will seek, according to a statement copied to APA on Friday, “to obtain first hand information from the authorities and stakeholders” before examining “strategies to facilitate a rapid return to constitutional order and democratic governance, while preserving the security and territorial integrity of Chad.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo, whose head of state Félix Tshisekedi holds the rotating chairmanship of the AU, has been associated with this fact-finding mission. The mission should also “reaffirm the AU’s solidarity with the Chadian government and people, as well as its unwavering commitment to support the transition process.”

According to the document, “fighting terrorism and violent extremism, armed rebellion and transnational organised crime” will be among the issues that the mission will address on the ground.

For a successful outcome to the crisis, the fact-finding mission must hold consultations with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the G5 Sahel and the United Nations.

The circumstances of Idriss Déby’s death remain unclear. According to the official version, the Chadian marshal died while trying to counter a rebel column from the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT). However, the AU has proposed to the Transitional Military Council, which currently holds power, to “support the investigation of the late president’s murder.”

In principle, the AU Peace and Security Council should receive the conclusions of the fact-finding mission by May 8 at the latest, in order to judge on facts.